French Ambassador: Iraq was the first line in the face of terrorism

Photo Credit: Le Point

Éric Chevalier, the French ambassador to Iraq, Eric Chevalier, confirmed on Tuesday that Iraq was the first line in the face of terrorism, while Macron assigned me to strengthen relations with Iraq.

Chevalier said during a televised interview with Al-Iraqiya news channel that "elections alone do not mean democracy... there is a long way to achieve it, and freedom, equality, and brotherhood must be achieved so that democracy does not fall."

He added, "President Macron assigned me to strengthen relations with Iraq during my assumption of the position of ambassador," stressing that "France has no hidden plans and is working to support stability in Iraq."

He continued, "I see that there is a great expansion of cooperation between Iraq and France," noting that "France was hit by terrorism, but Iraq was the first line in the confrontation."

He also said, "I salute and appreciate Iraq's response to terrorism," noting that "France has many projects to help Iraq, including Sinjar Hospital, which is about to be completed."

The so-called Islamic State or ISIS seized large swathes of Iraqi territory in 2014, declaring a "caliphate" and killing thousands (many of whom were the Yazidis in Sinjar) there before Baghdad declared victory in 2017. Despite their defeat, the terrorists remain active in the country, especially active in the regions disputed between Erbil and Baghdad.

Iraq is still in the process of eliminating remnants of ISIS terrorists who ambush, kidnap, and extort both civilians and members of the security forces in the disputed areas, which stretch across several provinces, including Kirkuk, Nineveh, Diyala, and Saladin. 

"The French government is interested in protecting Iraq and concluding arms contracts is an important part of achieving this," Chevalier said.

In another part of his interview, Chevalier pointed out that "France has companies operating in Iraq, especially in the water and energy sectors," stressing that "a contract was made to invest solar energy and associated gas to generate electricity and save the environment." 

Iraq is classified as one of the five most vulnerable countries to climate change effects and desertification. Water shortages have led this year to reduced quotas for rice and wheat farmers.

The World Bank predicts that without major changes, Iraq will have lost 20 percent of its water resources by 2020.



PUKmedia